Edita Tracey, 35, was nine-months-pregnant when she felt intense pressure in her back. She was getting her hair done at a salon and ignored the pressing pain at first; she thought it was just a symptom of being so far along in her pregnancy. Soon, however, the pain became extreme and spread to her chest. That's when this Philadelphia resident called 911. She remembers the team of medical personnel coming to her rescue, but she doesn't remember anything else, according to a report on AOL.

Tracey was wisked to the hospital and doctors ran a series of tests. They learned that she suffered from a life-threatening heart condition known as aortic dissection. She had suffered a foot-long tear in her aorta, a major artery in the heart. Tracey was reportedly also suffering from preeclampsia and she had Marfan Syndrome, which involves weakened tissue including the walls of her blood vessels. This combination made her condition potentially deadly.

Two teams of surgeons sprang into action. The first group of doctors immediately performed a C-section to deliver her new daughter quickly while the second team prepared her for open heart surgery that would last for nine hours. The medical team's lead cardiologist says that this was the most complicated surgery he has done in 30 years.

The surgery was a success, and Edita and baby Arabella are now at home, both doing well. Mom doesn't remember much of the drama, but says: "I think my baby saved my life."

Vicki Clinebell majored in journalism at the University of Colorado and headed to an advertising agency before beginning a long career in broadcasting, spanning production and copywriting to Sales and Management for an ABC affiliate station.

Her decision to switch gears to pursue a career in writing fulfilled a lifelong ambition. She started as a blogger for a diverse group of businesses, and now writes for a number of digital publications for companies stationed in her hometown in the Rocky Mountains, and provides advertising copy and media buys for national and regional clients. She finds the research as intersting as the writing—she loves learning about subjects as diverse as construction scaffolding, child safety seats, and the newest trends in beauty and fashion.